How To Make Mandala Stones EASY Hand Form Directions | How To Paint Dot Mandalas with Lydia May 

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Wow - Lydia - what a great resource for those who can’t get stones !!! Wonderful tutorial on all the steps and tips on using the quickset concrete. The bottom of the stone you made actually looked like a natural stone. It would have fooled me for sure. Thank you for sharing your art with all of us. God bless you. 👵🏻💕🐾

This is an excellent idea. In National Parks and State Parks visitors are asked not to remove rocks from the beaches and river beds as they are important for the local ecology/drainage/seawall/etc. I avoid taking anything from public lands. I spent a lot of money for river rocks from Mexico for a group to paint. Felt guilty about that too, taking from other areas. Making my own, from now on. Thanks for the video.

Wow! Lydia, that was great, never thought I could make my own stones and you made it look so easy. Thanks for sharing this knowledge with us, you are a star

What a great idea.. thanks Lydia x

This is amazing Can't wait to try it. Thank you darling. Lovely watching you again. Full of positive energy!!!

Wow, great tutorial, thank you for showing us a great way to make stones xo

Thank you so much. This is exactly what I have been looking for.

Thank you Lydia. I didnt know what to look for to make my own stones.

Whoaaaaaa!!!! I’m so excited!!! You’ve been holding out on me woman!! This is great! Thank you so much!! Love ya! Mean it! 😘❤️❤️

Brilliant! I have to give this a try. Thank you.

Lydia... way cool!! So simple and so effective. Thanks for sharing..... you do incredible work!! Ax

Beautiful and SMART! 😃

Thanks Lydia!!

Ooooo wonderfulL. My next purchase will be this stuff. I was hoping for a video on making my own stones. This is awesome! Thank you so very much!!!

That’s cool! Can’t even tell the difference. 👌🏻

I loved it! Thank you!

Hi Lydia!! What a wonderful idea!!!! :D Thanks for sharing! :)

This is awesome!! Thanks for sharing!!💖

Great video! I made six rocks within about an hour. I couldn't quite get the surface smooth enough so had to spackle and sand a bit to smooth them out.

WOW !!! Super!

Love it. Thanks.

I absolutely love this idea. Where I live all the rocks are jagged. This is a great idea!!!

Very cool Lydia! A friend gave me a bag of that stuff, I'm like you, I can get nice natural stones, but what the heck, I'll give it a try! Thanks for sharing!!

Fabulosa idea gracias!!!!

after struggling with some homemade molds, i tried this method and immediately chucked those crappy molds. i don't need them! this method makes the perfect size and shape and i have complete control over the process. thanks so much for sharing.

What a great alternative to rocks. Thanks.

Great idea!!!! Thanks 💟🌹☺

Awesome idea!! Its clever😍😍 keep it up👍

Lydia, Thank you for this tutorial! I have a place to get rocks, but will definitely try this. Pretty cool! Hugs, Judy

Superb idea. Thank you

I made my first handmade stone today! It turned out perfect! Thank you so much!

What a wonderful idea, I am off to the hardware store today :-) :-) Clever Girl !!!!!!!!

That's really clever

Thank u for showing Ur video I can't wait to try it👍💖

Awesome! 😍

Very nice! I’ll try this for sure!

Thank you. I finally found this video.

Thank you Lydia. I battle to get these stones and will now makes them myself.

Great idea, thanks for sharing it!

Thank you so so so much Lynda....I can never find perfect stone in my area....this is gonna help me so much....thanks for sharing this idea....❤❤❤❤thanks again...💗💗

AWESOME I FOUND THE ANSWERS TO THE ANNOYING QUESTIONS THAT I LEFT ON ANOTHER VIDEO OF YOURS!! 🔮💃💜😀🎨

I have been searching for a good recipe to make my own stones. Gypsum powder left my stones too fragile. But good for Christmas tree ornaments, because it's light weight. I've mixed plaster of Paris of Paris, Mortar and Gypsum and that's a bit stronger. I pour them into molds. BUT.... I am loving this hand made method! I will be buying this Quick Crete today and trying my hand at this. I want the durability, this looks to have. Thank you so much for sharing your secret!

I will let you know when I used quikkrette for the next stone. I was not in a hurry to release the stone since I failed two times. I let it set over night. I don't think it needed that much time. I will get back to you when I make another......thank you again for all you do.

awesome! not only that you sell them, but you offer the alternative. I was actually wondering the other day if anyone thought of selling rocks on etsy or ebay lol! you are beautiful inside and out and I thank you so much for this. a friend shared this with me and I am beyond grateful. i live in northern ontario... in mining country, but where the small stones are sharp and not paintable. the large are often perfect and boulder size! anyways! merci!

Thanks so much for the tutorial! Just subscribed to your channel (came across here from your FaceBook group). As Indont live in an area where we get natural stone like you do, this method will become a great way for me to start dotting!

I can’t wait to try this! Could you pour this product into your tea light mold and use it that way too?

Hi Lydia. Thank you for this tutorial. I was looking for a substitute for Gypsum powder since it's so expensive. Can I use this mix with stone mold?

M addicted to ur channel. Lots of love from Pakistan

Good job.. thankyou

Thanks for this. Been wondering how to make round stones, just like making patties! Just bought Crayola Air-Dry Clay to make stones as cement is not safe to use (advice from DIY store). Will also try with plaster of Paris.

Perfect,can't find any molds in my area so I will be using that. Thanks sooo much

Thank you so much!!!

Hola Lydia, me parece muy bien éste tutorial. Es cemento común o es alguno en especial? Saludos desde Guadalajara, Jalisco. México

hi and thanks for the video! how long after making the stone can you start to paint it?

Love your video! I bought the same Quickcrete you have and made several stones following your video. However, mine have cracks in them 😕 What did I do wrong? I came back and watched your video again, but don't see anything I did different except I made mine a tiny bit larger. I did notice that my Quickcrete did not seem to get warm as I was working with it. I will keep trying!

Great tutorial. I'd want to be putting some cement powder in that bowl after you've made your rock then put your formed rock back in the bowl and swirl it around and around to get it symmetrical. I don't know if it would work tho. Worth a try.

For those who have physical disabilities, and cannot search for “natural” stones, THANK YOU for sharing this technique to make them. I have viewed this video and seen the finished product. My questions are: (1) Did the concrete stone dry that dark, or had it already had a coat of black paint❓ (2) Specifically, what paint would you suggest to paint the surface of the “woman”-made-stone❓

Thank you for making this tutorial. I searched for Portland cement mix to make pots & other garden ornaments. I'm 86 so I'm not about to your an 80# bag of cement. The smaller bags were expensive...& still pretty heavy. Your video showed there is a cement option in a weight I can handle & at a price I'm willing to pay. I never find nice round stones & I'm not willing to pay the price. I've made polymer clay discs for Mandalay. It's okay, but I prefer stones. I picked up my 10# this morning @ Home Depot. Can't wait to get started. Again, thank you!

Thank you so much! How long do I have to wait before I can paint the rock? I am new to the art of Mandala and 💗 LOVE 💗 your tutorials.

Thank you sooooo much for this! And for your other tutorials. When it comes to art I can follow instructions but I lack the creativity (or confidence) to do it myself so your tutorials are perfect. Thanks to you I look at my rocks and think “I did that!?!” I’ve been putting little notes on the back and leaving them in random places for people to find. Thank you so much for sharing!!! Oh! I do have one question... do you always use the water stop mortar quikrete or will other quikrete products work? Your rocks are so much darker and smoother than mine (I’m using the concrete mix) Also, how long do you let the rocks dry before painting them? I’m so excited to paint my homemade rocks but the color is still changing so I’m thinking they need to dry more?

Thank you so much for this video tutorial! I live in Hawaii and it is impossible to find stones other then lava. As many know, first painting on lava doesn't work well and secondly, it is said to bring bad luck to take them off the island. The Volcano National Park receives hundreds of rocks that people return claiming to be cursed. Strange but true. Anyway, thanks again and I can't wait to make some.

Thanks so much for sharing this idea, being disabled I can't go looking for rock and I love to paint them.

Hi dear Lydia good wirk as always these days I was a little busy, I couldn't come and say hi Wish u luck💓💋

I love playing with concrete!

I see cabinet door knobs all dot painted in the making!

If in my country I can’t find that quick concret, or cement, can I use a regular cement, please aswer me than you 👍❤️

We'll done

I love this idea! They look real to me! I'm thinking I might go to your shop soon to get me some of the ones you sell!! :)

It's so beautiful Here from india

Hi Lydia! Thanks for showing us how to make our own stones. I can’t believe the money you have saved us. I’m extremely new to this craft and I adore your videos. Also, I am a new subscriber to your channel. I do have a question for you though. When you mess up and say the dots touch sometimes, what do you suggest be done? I get so frustrated when that happens and feel like I have to start all over again. Help please 🙏🏻🥺

jejejejeje, muy listaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, graciasssssssssssssssss

Thanku so much for this video 😍😍 This a better idea 😣🥺😘😘

Brilliant. Once I get to the builders supplies and find the UK equivalent, I will no longer be buying from amazon!!!😊

You Rock Miranda❣️😆 literally and the other ways too ❣️ excellent idea , thank you for sharing ❣️🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼👍🏻🤣

Would plaster work for this?

I live in the desert and cant find round stones. So I am going to make some of these. Thanks. I've been using heavy cardboard!

Have you ever used the Qwikrete in the Dotting Company molds? Very informative video. Thanks!

Thank you so much l can't afford purchasing stones. I needed your help

What did you use to do the stones I could figure out how. What kind of mixture did you use. Thanks for sharing and for your help I'm a beginner...

💕💕💕THANK YOU SO MUCH for making this video💕💕💕 The CLOSEST place in my area that allows customers to just go in and pick out SMALL amounts of natural stone in the sizes perfect for painting is almost 1.5 HOURS AWAY (one way) from my house.😕Meaning 3 hours of JUST DRIVING TIME!! I’m disabled and long car rides, especially if I’m driving, cause me a LOT of pain. So making that trip is really difficult and takes a major toll on my body. Typically such a trip leaves me bed/couch/recliner bound for AT LEAST 1 full day. But because of the amount of bending over and lifting required while trying to find the best stone possible in those huge bins & piles of stones...ONE TRIP can ended up causing me to be laid up for 1-3 FULL DAYS.😕😕 Which CAN be worth it OCCASIONALLY IF I plan on making pieces for gifts or to sell. BUT for just trying new designs or for just practice...the pain really isn’t worth it. I’ve been SEARCHING for a way to CREATE my OWN hand formed/mold formed rocks to paint!! And THIS is the absolute BEST method & instructional video I’ve found thus far. Also...between the cost of the natural stones themselves & the cost of gas to travel THAT FAR...THIS method is going to be a LOT cheaper!! Again...THANK YOU for sharing this!!💕💕💕💕

Can you place Quikcrete in a silicone mold?

Hi, I'm having trouble getting the stone smooth. What am I doing wrong?

me ha encantado tambien tu pagina de la tienda, muy interesante!!!!. Te he dejado un pequeño mensaje

That's so awesome what a great idea. What kind of regular stone's do you use? Are they called river rocks? Or something else? I saw river rocks at the hardware store but they were pretty small only had a couple medium size ones didn't think they were worth the price could get enough to use why I thought maybe there was some other kind but walked around everything else was more like big gravel only have been to Home depot try to go somewhere else whenever I can start on dotting unfortunately can't do much with my arms yet just hurts too bad to even type on my phone. Been a mess that's for sure can't get anything done yet have to have back surgery end of this month get healed from that first unfortunately be awhile longer. 😔 5 hour back surgery said 2 month's recovery at least. Well awesome job on them might try making them if can't find any in Indiana but going to keep looking if I can find them. Would you please let me know what they are called pretty please. Thanks hon.❤❤❤❤❤❤ Love you Love watching your videos have saved every single one so whenever I can start dotting can follow along and do it like yours. Can't wait till I can.😃

Actually I love your video right @ the beginning ---- YOUR HI ALWAYS MAKES ME WISH I KNEW YOU...!!!! I LOVE YOUR TEACHINGS AND CONTINUE TO FOLLOW FROM CANADA! BE SAFE

Wow, new concept. How long does it take from start to finish?

Can you use silicon molds ?

Wow, who would have thunk? Just made my first rock. Now the waiting game of it drying/curing. Just one problem though.... Mine never started to warm up at all and I used the same brand

Visual is great, sound comes in and out

Could you use air dry clay for making stones?

Wauw

Can you use Portland cement

Did u use cement to make this??? Will Plaster of paris be accessable for this craft?

How long does it take to dry before you can paint on the rock?

do you have to basecoat with gesso before painting?

My concrete stones always seem to be a little gritty & not as smooth as yours appear to be. Watching this video again I think I need to work it a little longer in the bowl & in my hands when trying to firm it. When casting it in a mold (My heart shapes) they have a lot of pits no matter how well I think I've worked all the air out. If you can add any suggestions for how my stones might be more successful please tell me. I enjoy your videos very much as you make your beautiful mandalas!

For those who were asking about what to cover the handmade concrete stone with, I use acrylic. Acrylic paints cannot get absorbed into this kind of concrete mix, and I have also used acrylic on plaster of paris sculptures. Tempera paints will not hold up to handling or being painted over, and will crack and dust off of the concrete. Oil paint takes a lot of dry time, and when painting the mandala design on top of it, will not be very forgiving should you make a mistake that you need to remove and redo. The secret to acrylic paint is this: Acryic paint is water soluble and mixes with other acrylic brand paints just like oils would with other oil paints, but only until it is dry. Then, it is water-proof. It dries into a waterproof plastic. Anything that is used to dissolve and remove acrylic may do just that, but the dissolving of dried acrylic paint does not return it into its original form as paint. Because it dries into waterproof plastic, anything that removes it will actually only be breaking up the paint into teensy particle-flakes like glitter flakes. It will never mix again into a paint. Acrylic has wonderful uses because of this. When you paint your stone, it will dry and be water-proof and will not peel off of the stone through regular handling, outside on your porch, etc. Acrylic also dissolves well with clear gloss acrylic to make shiny and glassy looks and as veneer protective coating on top of dried acrylic.

The rough bottom makes it look more real.

Hey hon I didn't see a link to your Etsy shop anymore could you please leave me a link. Thanks so much.